Haunted
by Beautifultrash
Summary: He's haunted by her. And he knows she's gone but he could swear she's right there. He honestly thinks he's losing his mind. Set in season six, what happens when Damon's just a second too late to save Bonnie. Yes this is a bamon story. Yes it will be sad, but my otp will be canon.
1. Chapter 1

It was too late.

He couldn't save her.

Shock and grief racked through his bones as he kneeled down in front of his lifeless best friend.

Bonnie Bennett.

She had survived death too many times to count but this time he knew she was gone, there was no bringing her back.

And it was all his fault.

If maybe he could've gotten there a second earlier or if he had focused on her and not killing that bastard Kai, maybe she would still be here.

"I'm sorry Bonnie." He whispered, staring into her once vibrant hazel eyes.

He had seen lots of death in his immortal lifetime but nothing had shaken him like this, he knew for a fact that this would haunt him forever.

And maybe he deserved it, maybe being the one to witness her death was karma for all the lives he had carelessly taken, for all the people he had abused most of whom he considered 'friends'

Gently he picked up her body, holding it close to him.

He tried to ignore the lifelessness in her body as he walked out of the building and to his car.

Once he arrived at his Camaro he maneuvered her over his shoulder so that he could open the door to the backseat. He laid her body down and rearranged her so that she would fit, and closed the door.

Damon leaned against the door and let out a tired sigh, he wanted nothing more than to shut off his humanity and travel back down the road of destruction, but he couldn't, something in his body wouldn't allow him to disappoint Bonnie like that, it didn't matter that she was physically gone, mentally she would still always be right there with her judgy little voice telling him right from wrong.

"This wasn't supposed to happen, you were supposed to live a long happy life Bon," He said to no one in particular.

"You just couldn't run away from the danger like a normal person, you're far from normal I know but I just got you back, and now you're gone again."

How was it that they had fought so hard; she had fought so hard to come back and now she was gone, just like that.

With one last sigh Damon moved around the driver's side of the car and was about to get in when he saw a movement behind another car, he squinted his eyes and waited for a minute but then wrote it off as his mind playing tricks on him.

While on his way to the boarding house his phone began to ring, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced down at it, Stefan.

He debated on whether he should answer, when the phone stopped ringing he set it down with a sigh of relief. He honestly didn't feel like talking to anyone, he was mentally and physically drained, having to see your best friend die did that to a person or immortal.

When his phone began ringing again he begrudgingly answered it.

"Hello?"

"Elena's awake,"

"No hi, how are you or anything huh? Just straight to the point, didn't our mother teach you any manners? Oh wait she skipped out without a second glance back, never mind," He snarked.

"What's wrong with you?" Stefan asked.

Damon rolled his eyes. What wasn't wrong with him.

"Oh nothing, just had to watch the wedding from hell, witnessed my best friend's death, didn't get to have any of the wedding cake, the usual,"

"What are you talking about? Alaric's here with us,"

"I meant Bonnie, Bonnie's dead." He stated, before hanging his phone up.

"Someone's got an attitude," a voice beside him said.

The voice was eerily familiar, one that he knew he could identify anywhere, but it wasn't possible because her body was currently in his backseat growing colder by the second.

He glanced back at her in the rearview mirror, and was confirmed when he saw that her body was still there, laying in the position that he set her in.

"Yes I'm still dead Damon,"

Damon shook his head and tried to focus on the road ahead of him, he was obviously hearing things, his mind had probably conjured her up in an attempt to make him feel guiltier about being the reason she was dead, it didn't make sense but at the moment nothing did.

"You know it was nice to hear how I'm still your best friend even after I you know," she made a choking sound,"Now we're best dead buddies forever, I'm officially apart of the dead undead little club that you Stefan and Caroline are in, it's a shame Elena's no longer apart of it, don't you think?'

He turned his head to the passenger's side and saw her, giving him that smirk that so strangely resembled the one that was always on his face.

"Miss me?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you really here right now or am I losing my mind?"

"I'd like to think of it as both." She replied in that way only she could.

Damon turned to look at her again and was once again overcome with shock and just a bit of grief.

He didn't know what was going on, he only knew that somehow she was dead yet alive.

"It was too soon for you to go, I only just got you back," He whispered, hoping she could hear him.

"You're telling me, I fought my ass off to get back to the world of the living only to be put in some weird limbo a few days later."

When he reached the boarding house he turned the car off and laid his head against the steering wheel.

He wanted nothing more than to just destroy everything, he wanted the world to feel the pain he did, he wanted everyone to know exactly how he was feeling.

Lost, angry, sad, confused.

He glanced in the rearview mirror and stared. How had everything changed so quickly? Within a matter of moments things had just snapped out of place. Like a rubberband finally breaking from too much stress.

He deserved this, he deserved to see his best friend lifeless, he didn't protect her and now it was all his fault she was gone.

But she didn't deserve any of this, she was supposed to live her life and be happy, she was supposed to get far away from mystic falls and all of it's bullshit.

Now she couldn't because he had let her die. It was just as bad as killing her.

Damon opened the door and stepped out of the car, he walked around to the passenger's side and gently pulled her body out of the car. He cradled her in his arms like he had done so many times, but this time was different, her body was so cold and lifeless and he absolutely hated it, because she was always so filled with life, she was like the light, so bright and now that light had dimmed until there was nothing.

"Aw I wish I had my phone, you carrying my dead body is so cute, a real kodak moment." Her voice said beside him.

It took him a minute to open the door but when he did he bypassed all the grief stricken faces and laid her down on the couch.

Damon knew it was useless but he maneuvered her so that she was comfortable.

Caroline came to stand next to him, tears streaming down her face.

"There's something we can do right? She's come back so many times, this can't be the end," She said, but even she didn't believe that there was anything they could do.

It was the end for Bonnie Bennett, and they all knew it.

"This can't be happening," Caroline whimpered, holding on to Damon.

"Yeah." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her.

It was like a nightmare none of them could wake up from.

Stefan watched as his brother and his girlfriend mourned for their best friend, he felt absolutely useless and even guilty, he had never really gotten to know Bonnie and now he couldn't.

"I'm sorry Bonnie." He whispered softly.

Alaric stood off to the side stone faced as he watched his friends. He was still in shock, how had one of the best nights of his life quickly turned into a nightmare? Everything had been ripped away from him, his children, his wife, and one of his close friends.

Without a word he turned and walked out the door.

No one stopped him.

"Damon." Elena softly called to him.

He clenched his jaw, not ready to face her he closed his eyes and squeezed Caroline tightly before relaxing his hold.

Stefan who saw the action quickly moved to make sure Elena didn't get too close, for her safety and his brothers sanity.

"Elena right now isn't really a good time," He whispered to her.

In true Elena fashion she tried to make it about her.

"She was _my_ best friend Stefan, and I'm hurting so _my_ boyfriend should comfort _me_." She whined.

"Can you not make everything about you for once Elena, Bonnie is dead, my best friend is dead and all you care about is yourself!" Caroline shouted, her blue eyes lit with a fire that they had never seen before.

None of them could meet Elena's gaze as Caroline's words hung in the air.

"Well this is awkward." Bonnie commented, standing behind the couch. She looked down at her body on the couch and inhaled sharply.

Damon's eyes shifted to Bonnie, he watched as a tear fell down her cheek and landed on the face her lifeless form.

"Bon." He whispered. All eyes shifted to him and then spot that he was staring at.

"Damon? Are you okay?" Stefan asked concerned, as he saw a pained look enter his brothers eyes.

He shook his head no and stared down at Bonnie's body intensely. He dropped down to his knees and cradled Bonnie's head in his hands.

"How could you leave us? How could you leave me? You know I'm nothing without you," Damon whispered softly. He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

"Come back to me." He whispered over and over again.

Caroline stared down at him in pity and shock. This was a Damon that she had never seen, she didn't think he was capable of showing deep emotions.

But Stefan wasn't shocked, he knew this side his brother, the side that felt deeply, Stefan also knew that his brother lashed out in anger because this side was one he wanted to bury, a side of him he wanted no one to know about.

As Elena stared at her boyfriend crying over a girl that wasn't her, that was her best friend she couldn't help but feel jealous.

She knew that she shouldn't feel that way especially since the girl was dead, but it really showed her how important Bonnie was to Damon.

"This really is the end, isn't it? I'm sorry I didn't save you Bonnie, I'm so sorry." Damon whispered one last time, before getting up and heading out the front door.


	3. Chapter 3

"I like that for once I'm the one driving you crazy." Bonnie stated, as she watched Damon drink his weight in bourbon. Their favorite drink.

"This one's for you Bon Bon." He said, raising the cup in her direction before slamming it back.

He probably looked crazy right now, but he didn't give a damn. He was grieving.

And this was the only way he knew how, this was the only acceptable way of dealing with his emotions. Unless he wanted to play a game of how many bodies he could drop in one night.

As if she was reading his mind Bonnie gave him a disapproving look.

"Don't judge me witchy." He muttered, taking another sip of his drink.

Bonnie sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.

Damon's head snapped in her direction, he stared wide eyed back and forth between her hand and her face, which was wearing the same expression as his.

"H—how?" She whispered."It shouldn't be impossible, I'm a ghost."

He swallowed hard at her words, a ghost. She was a ghost. He couldn't wrap his mind around it, even though she had been a ghost before he just couldn't believe it.

"C—could you touch Jeremy when you were like this?" He stuttered, trying to wrap his mind around the situation.

"No."

They stared at each other, transfixed. It was as if they were the only ones in the room. Damon's eyes widened in alert when Bonnie began flickering in and out, one second she was there and the next she wasn't.

"Bon! What's happening?" He asked quietly though his voice was panicked.

"It's fine Damon, I'll be back." She replied, before she disappeared.

He let out a low growl and turned back to the bar. He was confused, he had thought she was nothing more than a figment of his imagination there to drive him insane, to make him feel guilty for not saving her in time.

But instead she was a ghost, that only he could see, as far as he knew.

He finished the rest of his drink, never one to waste good bourbon, and walked out of the bar.

There was a slight chill in the air, but he welcomed it. The sky was pitch black, only a few stars shining in the sky.

A dark smirk danced on his lips, as a creature of the night Damon thrived in the dark.

The sound of female laughter rang through the air, He turned his head in the direction of it and saw a group of four college-aged girls. He could feel a dark part of him rise as he stared at them, oh so stupid didn't they know it wasn't a good idea to be walking around late at night?

Damon tried to fight his instincts, but all he could hear was the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He didn't want to fight anymore, he didn't want to fight his emotions, he wanted to unleash his anger and his grief. He wanted someone other than himself to hurt, he wanted someone to know the pain he was in.

Against all better judgment Damon swaggered over to the girls his lips twisted in that infamous smirk he was known for.

"Well hello girls, nice night huh?" He stated, taking a glance up at the sky.

He grimaced when all he received in response were high pitched giggles, they were beyond drunk and probably didn't know right from left, this would be easy.

Damon took his time looking over all four of the girls, they were attractive enough but there was one in particular who caught his eye.

The girl had brown skin and hazel eyes, much like a certain female he knew, one that he was currently trying to forget.

Her hazel eyes so much like her's were looking at him in caution and was that... disgust? Damon was almost positive that was disgust, he knew that look too well.

He let out a low groan and turned around. He slipped his hands in his hair and tugged.

"You really have me fucked up Bonnie Bennett!" He shouted at the air.

Damon turned around and found the girls looking at him confused, but a pair of hazel eyes were trained on him looking at him strangely, they probably thought he was a psycho that had escaped some mental institution. He didn't blame them.

With a defeated sigh he walked away without another word.

He couldn't do anything right.

Maybe this was a sign, perhaps he wasn't meant to live. He hadn't deserved a second chance, and now more than ever he really wished Stefan had left him to rot on the ground, maybe the world would've been a better place, maybe Stefan would've been happier, maybe she would be alive.

Scratch that he knew she would be alive, she would be happy, wouldn't have had to deal with all of the loss she had gone through with him around.

Damon wouldn't admit it to anyone, hell he could barely admit it to himself but inside he was dying, slowly and painfully dying.

He finally knew what it was like to lose something so precious, it wasn't the same feeling as losing Katherine which struck him as odd, it felt eerily similar to when he lost his mother, but it felt different.

This pain he was feeling was slow, it felt like he was drowning, it was consuming him, it was trying to drive him to lash out the only way he could. He wanted to hurt everyone.

He sighed deeply and was about to make his way home when a familiar car stopped right beside him.

"Get in." Stefan said.

Silently Damon opened the passenger door and got in the car.

On the way back to the boarding house the ride was quiet, until Damon opened his mouth to ask a question that had been in his mind since Stefan picked him up.

"Who said you could drive my car?"


End file.
